Our verdict: Supermium is the best-known way to run a current Chromium browser on old Windows versions, and on Windows 10 and 11 it appeals to people who want Manifest V2 extensions such as full uBlock Origin and classic Chrome styling. It is a small project, and its stable releases follow upstream Chromium with some delay.
About Supermium
Supermium is a Chromium fork developed by win32. It aims to stay compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.x while also running on Windows 10 and 11, and to restore classic Chrome features. The project says major vulnerability patches usually arrive within a week of upstream disclosure.
Compared with Chrome, Supermium keeps Manifest V2 extensions, offers Aero Glass-style title bars, trapezoidal, transparent and outlined tab styles, many flags from ungoogled-chromium, GDI font rendering and a forced dark mode. Google Sync works, and Widevine DRM is supported on Windows 7 and newer.
What it does well
- Old Windows support. Runs on Windows XP SP3 and newer, including Vista, 7 and 8.x.
- Manifest V2 extensions. Keeps support for older extensions such as the full uBlock Origin.
- Classic tab styles. Trapezoidal, transparent and outlined tabs and Aero Glass-style title bars.
- Extra flags. Many privacy and tweak flags from ungoogled-chromium, GDI font rendering and forced dark mode.
- Google Sync and DRM. Google account sync and Widevine DRM for streaming services on Windows 7 and newer.
Who it is for
Good fit
People on older Windows versions and users who want Manifest V2 extensions and classic Chrome styling.
Look elsewhere
Users who need the newest Chromium version on release day or official support from a large vendor.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Runs on Windows XP through 11
- Manifest V2 extensions keep working
- Classic Chrome look options
- Fast turnaround on major security patches
Cons
- Stable releases lag behind the newest Chrome version
- Small project run mainly by one developer
- Some extensions must be sideloaded manually
How to install Supermium
The direct link is the 64-bit setup of the latest stable release from the official site. Newer builds on GitHub are often marked as pre-releases on supermium.net, so stick to stable builds for daily use. uBlock Origin with Manifest V2 can be installed from the project's GitHub page and sideloaded.
Questions about Supermium
Is Supermium free?
Yes. Supermium is free and open source, like the Chromium code it is based on.
Does Supermium work on Windows 7?
Yes. It supports Windows XP SP3 and newer, including Windows 7 and 8.1.
Can I use uBlock Origin in Supermium?
Yes. Supermium keeps Manifest V2, so the full uBlock Origin works; the project suggests installing it from uBlock's GitHub.
